Digital printers are in common use today for many production processes ranging from printing of a single document to large scale production of multiple documents. When running a print job the machine operates under a number of features associated with the job. Features include things like stapling, plex (i.e. simplex or duplex), output tray designation, media source, and rotate. Historically, these features were set at the job level. In other words, the entire job ran under the same features. However, the more recent digital machines enable the user to define features at a page level. With the newer machines the features can change in the middle of the job without the need for operator action. For example, the machine can be set up to start in a simplex mode (one sided copying) and midway through the job switch to a duplex mode (two sided copying) and then perhaps back to simplex again. Thus, a print job can not only have multiple features associated with it, but also those feature can vary depending on where in the print job you are.
One of the shortfalls of the present systems is that the operator does not have easy access to the features associated with a job. There are several reasons why the operator may want to have such access. Initially, it may be necessary to change the feature while the job is running. Without easy access to features it may not be practical to change the features. In addition, from a quality control standpoint it is advantageous for the operator to have easy access to the features of the job. With easy and continuous access to the status of the features the operator can assure that the job is running correctly. For example, if the pages should be two sided, the operator can assure that two sided documents are being generated. Moreover, such access can also assist in the smooth running of the job since the operator can assure that the appropriate media and or finishing set up is available.
Thus, there is a need for a user interface on digital printers that allows the operator easy access to the features of a print job on page by page or subset basis. In addition, there is a need for a user interface where the operator can view all the features of a print job at once and in a coordinated fashion. At the same time there is a need to conserve screen space on a user interface, to allow all features to be displayed and avoid abnormally large interfaces.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention of the invention to provide a digital printer with a user interface that provides an operator fast and easy access to page by page feature information for a print job.
It is a further object of the present invention that invention that optionally provide the operator with the ability to alter the print job feature through a user interface associated with a digital printer.
It is yet another object of this invention to optionally provide a user interface that allows the operator to scroll ahead to determine what feature of a print job are defined for future pages.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a great deal of information on a display in a manner that the operator can easily scan to see what processes the print job should actually be performing.